Hey Bert (Paperback)

Hey Bert is a clarion call to open our eyes to the extent of poetry’s capacity with the aim to find new ways of looking at our own lives. Poems that speak intensely of the everyday, of nostalgia, friendship and love, the body, the sacred, all seen through Pastore’s unique, eccentric filter of spirit animals, pop-culture, dreams and astrology. In the spirit of John Giorno, Anne Waldman, and Julia Heyward, Pastore’s work draws from performance art, confessional poetry, mantra, and folklore to create a voice both fiercely contemporary and somehow out of time. His inspiration for this collection derived from his trips to Carlisle, where his love for poetry ignited twelve years ago. ‘I think my poems connect with people, because they speak of things that we all experience and aren’t intimidating to people who don’t generally read poetry. I think my collection could be a bridge for people who grew up on Instagram poetry.’